A little surprise

I mentioned before that we went about a week without our computer. So, when I finally got around to downloading the pictures from my camera to the computer I had a nice little surprise! Someone had gotten ahold of my camera... I wonder who?

He did get a nice shot of my bed.

And his hair.

And out my bedroom door. But this last one is my personal favorite. He looks like he is just having so much fun!

How could you get mad at a face like that? This must have happened the same day that he got ahold of my cell phone and called my sister three times in two minutes!

I'm Back!!!

I wish I could say that I was off on some great and wonderful vacation, but I haven't. We had to have our computer completely wiped. We got some kind of something on the computer so we had to start over. And that's no easy task (if you've ever tried). I won't go into details, but just the getting all of your stuff saved and knowing what to save and not to save, and then having the computer wiped and then reinstalling everything, well, let's just say it took some time. And then yesterday I was all ready to blog, I had my camera ready to download pictures so that I could, and realized that I needed to reinstall the camera stuff onto the computer. But I couldn't find the CD for the life of me. I checked everywhere that I thought it could be several times 'just in case' I missed it the first three times. Come to find out, it was in the most unlikely of all places. I found it last night, and then after installing it, was just so sick of it all, I went to bed and figured I would blog in the morning, so here I am. AND since I haven't blogged for a week, I am allowing myself to blog without being showered for the day. So, what has been going on around here?

First of all, Jenna has been invited to one birthday party right after the other. And I know that there are a couple of more (including hers) coming up in the next month. Who knows what we all were thinking (or doing) to have so many kids her age all right in the same neighborhood. There are 19 kids born her same year in our ward alone, but then you add the three other little girls that are on our same street, but not in our ward, and that is all just a little overwhelming when you think about it!

At one of the birthday parties she went to, she came home with this balloon. Which Jayden has enjoyed more than anyone. However, he likes to let go of the balloon and watch it float up to the ceiling. Which means when he wants it back, it is a small production to get it down. It always seems like too much effort to go down in the basement and get the ladder, so I always try and bat it down with a duster I have that has a 8 foot pole attachment. Sometimes I am lucky enough to have it only take one try, but usually, by the time I make my way across the room standing on the couches and tables, to where I have hit it and can actually grab the string, it will travel it's way back up the ceiling and I have to start all over. I did finally get smart and I tied an extension onto the balloon so that I could reach it from anywhere in the room. If I were REALLY smart though, I would have tied a string on it long enough that Jayden could grab it from anywhere in the room. However, that lasted only until Jayden decided it would be a good idea to turn on the ceiling fan, and now I have a ten foot piece of string caught up in the fan. And now I REALLY have to go down to the basement and get the ladder. SHEESH! Pop already! Who knows, maybe it will have to have an unfortunate accident when I am unwinding it from the fan. Funny side note about the balloon: I didn't realize that Melissa stuck a dart on the balloon. She had been trying to hit it with a dart and have it stick, but then realized that it would always bounce off. So she decided to stick the dart on herself and let it float to the ceiling. She wanted Spencer to think that she had actually hit the balloon.

We've also been dealing with some sickies over here at our house. Two weeks ago, Jenna had pink eye and a double ear infection. Then about a week later, she threw up. In the car on the way home from the bank. I had a plastic bag for her to throw up in (what can I say I have Spencer, so I am prepared for him to be able to throw up anytime, anywhere) only she didn't quite tuck it under her chin all the way, so it went down the front of her. Then, the next day she threw up that morning, but then felt good the rest of the day. And that was that for her. But then, Melissa woke up at 5:30 in the morning on Tuesday and threw up. Then she threw up again around 9, and that was it as far as throwing up for her.

While the girls have been dealing with throw up, the boys have been coughing, which in their case leads to throw up (because they gag). So, Tuesday night, while I was dealing with some computer stuff, I hear Jayden yell out, "I throw up!" And sure enough I went in there and yep, he threw up. So after a bath and a clean up of his room...

He wound up in my bed for a bit...

Have I ever mentioned the fact that I have some heavy sleepers? I do, Jenna was asleep in Jayden's room, and when he threw up, I had no problem, turning on the light and cleaning it all up while Jenna just slept. Here's the proof...

There was this time in our last house though where the smoke detector went off in the middle of the night, and all three (there were only three at the time) of the kids slept threw it. For like five minutes while Steve and I scrambled to find the culprit alarm that caused all the others to go off, the alarm blared and the kids slept. If only... However, maybe that isn't such a great thing afterall. I should be worried.

The one good thing about Jayden throwing up (the silver lining you might say) is that on my way to the laundry room to throw the yucky bedding into the wash I realized that my Rice Custard was still in the oven. And had been for an hour and a half. Which is probably twice what it should have been.

Rice Custard is one of those things that I grew up on in my family. We would have it everytime my parents were going out. Well either that or Pigs in a Blanket and Mac 'n cheese. The funny thing is, my siblings and I all like it, but none of our spouses do and none of our kids do. I think it is one of those things where we just acquired a taste for it, and now think its the greatest thing, but can't convince anyone else of that. I had quite a bit of rice left over from dinner, so I thought I would make this and then eat it for the next week for lunch. But once I let it cool down, I tried it (see the bite out of it?) and if I just don't eat the top bit or scrap any of the bottom it still tastes good (really Brett it tastes GOOOOODDD!).

So there you have it, my update. It is good to be back, and I have A LOT of catching up to do. Not having read blogs either for a week will do that!

My makeover...

Ok, so I have been way overdue for a hair cut, color and whatnot. Like WAY OVERDUE! So I finally made this appointment over a month ago. It was the first time that would fit in both my schedule and my Sister-in-law's schedule (she does my hair).

So, here's the before picture. And now the after...

It's kind of tough to take your own picture. I took the before picture myself, and then I had Jenna take the second one. She did a pretty good job. I thought I would try and go back more towards my original color. That way when I don't get back to get it colored for a LONG time again, it won't look so bad.

And yes, I color because I have gray hair. And like I've said before I am conceited and not ready to be old. So there you go!

Maybe I am doing something right...

On Friday, when Kathy and I got home from walking in the morning, I stepped into her house to grab something and I was sad to see (happy for her - sad for me) that her kids were all dressed and busy getting ready for school. Usually I come home to still having to drag my kids out of bed and prodding them constantly to get dressed and eat their breakfast, and brush their teeth, and so on... And then it seemed like constantly over the weekend people were talking about these great things their kids had done without them even having to ask. And I started to feel really bad. I really don't think EVER have my kids done something like clean something up that they weren't already required to do. But, the SHOCKER of the year is today when I got home from walking, Spencer was sitting on his bed and it was all made! ( Yep, he is still sleeping in Melissa's room because we have yet to have one night of them not fighting while going to bed. Which right now that is all we are asking, just one night. One night where they go in and just go to bed).And then also this morning (maybe there are good vibes in the air) Jenna made my bed for me when I was in the shower. Yes, I know, there is hardly any comforter on the one side...And it's hanging on the floor on the other side. But she made it all by herself. Just because she loves me. See Jayden enjoying the space behind the pillows? I find him snuggled back there all the time while watching TV. All I have to say, is maybe I am doing something right. Maybe something is sinking in. Maybe they aren't the little devils that I am constantly fighting with.

What?

Jayden is a pretty good talker for his age, but he just doesn't seem to understand what the word WHAT means. He will tell me, "I want one." So I say, "What do you want?"

Followed by a "I want one!" While holding up a finger showing one. So, I figure I will get a little smart here and say, "OK, show me." Which unfailingly ends up in the kitchen, in the pantry, pointing at the treats. But then, when I ask him "What" he wants, whatever it is, it isn't there. He just keeps looking all over saying he wants one, but doesn't ever want what's there. So I don't know what 'one' is, but it must be some really cool treat for him not to settle for anything else.

One big girl!

Yesterday, Jenna wanted some Mac n Cheese (yum...) for lunch. Only she wanted to make it and make it all. So I let her. She dumped the noodles in the boiling water, she stirred it. She did let me dump the boiling water out, but then she stirred in the butter, the milk and the cheese powder. All by herself and she was sure proud!

And even Jayden approved. He only licks his plate when he likes it! Good job Jenna!

{Just don't judge Jenna's hair, it was leftover from the day before}

Jayden Update

I know people tell me that Jayden reminds them of Spencer (it's got to be the hair), but if you ask me he reminds me of Melissa more than anyone else. They are both handfuls {shh, don't tell Melissa}. None of my other kids ever really cared about the purple dinosaur, except Melissa. Jayden and Melissa have both been my Barney fans. In fact Melissa's old babysitters gave me all their Barney videos when their kids got too old for them because she liked them so much. The other day, Jayden woke up when I was headed out to go walking and the first thing out of his mouth is, "I watch Barney, Okay?" So, being the good Mom I am, I plopped him on the bed next to a sleeping Steve and turned on Barney. So, it is safe to say that we probably watch Barney five or six times a day. No joke, it's my break. And it is the one thing that I can turn on while I shower and I know he will stay out of trouble.

Then yesterday, I turned on Barney after church so that I could make dinner and Melissa (who is never home during the day to have watched Barney with Jayden) says, "Hey Mom watch!" And then proceeds to do all of the Barney actions to a T, without even looking at the TV. I guess she really did watch it a little too much as a kid.

I've been hanging out with Jayden in the nursery lately at church. And it seriously MAKES ME MAD. Because he is a totally different kid in the nursery than he is at home. He does what he's told, he doesn't hardly talk, and he plays nice. If some kid wants the toy that he's playing with, he will just give it to them and go find something else to play with. What makes me so mad is he's kind of a boring kid in there. None of his fun personality comes out. I am hoping that with time, it will, but none of the ladies in the nursery believe me that 1) he's a handful and 2) that he can really talk. The one good thing about him though is at least he isn't being naughty in there.